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LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES
The student will identify and use various types of resources in the classroom and library media center in order to collect information and learn about the appearance, habitat, feeding, behavior, propagation of the species, and any interesting sidelights of a specific marine animal.
MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The student will:
-become interested in the research process
-understand the value of information skills
-gain confidence in research ability and accomplishment
| Credits: |
| Theo T. Kushi Adapted by Kori Gerbig - School of Information Studies, Syracuse University |
| Sources: |
| School Library Media Activities Monthly February 1997; 13 (6); 16-20 |
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES
-This project is planned for students to work in groups of two, three, or four. The number in each group is dependent on the nature and personality of the students in the class and should be determined by the teacher. The number and location of equipment and resources available in the school may also be a determining factor.
-The following activities and instruction should be divided between the teacher and library media specialist at a meeting. Who does what depends on the expertise of the two educators and the equipment available in the classroom and library media center. Flexible scheduling is important for the implementation of this unit.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION
-Show marine life videos to expose students to different types and varieties of marine animals.
-Select subject-area books about marine animals from the library media center shelves and allow students to browse through the books. The students will choose a particular marine animal as their focus for the unit.
-Students should look at the Dewey Decimal Classification System number on the spines of the books they have chosen. Instruct the students about the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The student will be able to find a particular book on the library media center shelf and browse in the appropriate section for a book about the selected animal.
-Students may tell what they know about the selected animals and write the information on chart paper. Next, have the students write questions about what they want to know about the chosen animals. Then, have the students look at both chart papers in order to find and circle "key words" for their searches.
-Distribute the "Marine Animal Studies Unit" handout. Have the students begin their search by finding the definition and description of the animal of their choice in the dictionary and encyclopedia (print and/or electronic).
-Instruct the students in using the cataloging system of the school library media center and the online system of the state public library to find resources on their topics by using search functions available to them in both the school and public library sytems. -Instruct the students on the functionality of CD-ROMs available in the school (classroom and library media center) in the topic area. Make certain that the CD-ROM is available for the students via a server to the classroom as well as in the library media center. -Bring in experts in the field of marine science to answer questions that students were not able to answer by using the resources available to them at school.
-Have the students write a first draft and then go through "Process writing" with the help of the library media specialist and teacher. -Students will illustrate and complete a two- to three-page report on a marine animal.
-Students will then script their report into a five- to ten-minute video production. The video should have an opening, sharing of information, closing, and a list of credits at the end. It will include video clips of real animals, scanned photos, and/or illustrations. -Instruct students in the fundamentals of using the video camera for their project.
-Take the students on excursions to an aquarium, marine exhibit, and/or entertainment center to allow them to incorporate "real animals" in their video.
-Students may write invitations to other classes and parents to view their final projects.
FOLLOW-UP
-By using the information gathered for their projects, students may write poems, create posters about endangered animals, or create puppet dramatizations of the different marine animals for presentation in the school and community
